Protein Producers Spring 2018

PROTEIN producers Spring 2018

TM

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PROTEIN producers

TM

2018 Volume 6 Issue 1

Editor: Kelly Terrell Associate Editor: Lisa Taylor Editorial Assistant: Brandi Bain

Dr. Wade Taylor Technology identification and deployment Dr. Tom Noffsinger Animal handling, staff development Dr. Doug Ford Reproduction, lameness Dr. Corbin Stevens Diagnostics and clinical evaluation Dr. Nels Lindberg Leadership development, field research Dr. Kip Lukasiewicz Animal handling, field research, facility design Dr. Jim Lowe System design and management, team education Dr. Shane Terrell Feedlot lameness, field research Dr. Kev Sullivan International veterinarian Animal handling, heat stress management

To subscribe to Protein Producers visit pacdvms.com and click on our Subscribe link!

Dr. Dan Thomson Field research, team education Dr. Tom Edwards Associate member Ultrasound technology, feedlot lameness Dr. Matt Fruge Associate member Ted Howard Animal stewardship, horsemanship Jose Valles Bilingual education & training, research monitoring Garrett Taylor Information management Kelly Terrell Marketing and communications Lisa Taylor Business and data analysis Brandi Bain Marketing and business administration

Follow us on Twitter @PACVets

We want to showcase unique photographs from our readers here!

Please submit your photographs to Kelly Terrell at kelly.terrell@pacdvms.com.

Huntley Hills Kinsley, KS

Owner: Bill and Jean Huntley Photo credit: Lisa Taylor

Contents 9. Welcome Dr. Nels Lindberg 23. Chuckles from Down Under 34. Chuckles from Down Under

Cow-Calf 13. Be Prepared If the Summer Gets Tough

Technology 17. Blockchain Technology and

42. Parable: Who Are You...?

the Global Food Supply Chain

46. Cartoon by Doug Gaswick

Legislation

47. Calendar

20. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly about ELDs

Photography by Heidi Terrell

Spring 2018 Research

Bilingual Training

25. Hypovitaminosis A in Cattle

38. Este Preparado Si El Verano

Leadership 28. Organizations Move at the Speed of Trust

Se Pone Dificil 40. Las Organizaciones Avanzan a la Velocidad de la Confianza

Animal Stewardship

The pot roast

33. To Be Safe Is to Be Aware

44. Breakfast Cups

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1

Data on file, Study Report Nos. 1133R-60-05-491, A131R-US-12-028, 2132T-60-01-050, 1133R-60-02-376, 2132T-60-01-063, 1133R-60-03-388 and 11RGDRA01, Zoetis Services LLC.

2

Data on file, Study Report Nos. 1133R-60-05-491, 1133R-60-05-492, 1133R-60-05-493, A131R-US-12-028, 2132T-60-01-050, 1133R-60-02-376, 2132T-60-01-063 and 1133R-60-03-388, Zoetis Services LLC.

All trademarks are the property of Zoetis Services LLC or a related company or a licensor unless otherwise noted. © 2016 Zoetis Services LLC. All rights reserved. DRX-00120

Photography by Lisa Taylor

Welcome

We are off and running in the new year of 2018! Hopefully this finds you out of the gate and running hard toward the goals you set forth for this year! As we wrap up each year, it often ends with some sort of celebration. We celebrate a great year or an average year, or maybe even celebrate the fact that we just survived another one. It is in that process that we assess the past year and all that has occurred, whether it be good or bad. Taking it a step further, we reflect on the year, for a few minutes or several hours, and look back at what we did well, what we did poorly and what would we do differently. This point of reflection is really about learning from our experiences, gaining knowledge and wisdom, and making conscious, intentional decisions going forward.

At the end of the year, many of us think about New Year’s resolutions, or “re-solutions”. We resolve to stop doing something, to save more money or to lose some weight and get in better shape. Research showed in 2015 that losing weight was the number one resolution, and by Valentine’s Day, more than a third of those people had traded in the resolution for a box of chocolates.

The fact remains, for many of us, holding up a New Year’s resolution for more than six months is a losing proposition. Our challenge to you is to not Assess, Reflect and Resolve only at the end of each year but to Assess, Reflect and Resolve every day. If we do this daily instead of once a year, our chance of succeeding at that resolution greatly increases. Daily assessing, reflecting and resolving is required for reaching our potential, gaining wisdom and achieving great success. Each of you has great potential, and we challenge you to unleash that great potential through daily assessment, reflection and resolution!

We have been hard at work within our PAC organization moving some key initiatives forward, all looking to serve our

clients better. We have set forth some big, audacious goals on veterinary and producer education, research and data analysis, again striving to better serve you, our clients.

At PAC, our culture runs deep within our veins, and we all have a constant heartbeat to serve each of you. We look forward to continuing to do so through the opportunities you have so graciously given us.

Nels Lindberg, DVM PS – A big shout out to Kelly Terrell for her non-stop hard work in bringing forth every issue of Protein Producers, which has grown from a simple newsletter to a full blown magazine! Thank you, Kelly!

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Let’s Work Together

Contributors

Thank you to all those contributing multiple stories and insights to Protein Producers.

Arturo Pacheco, PHD Arturo is a consulting ruminant nutritionist and a custom grazer in the Flint Hills of Kansas. Through his consulting services, he guides beef producers in efficient, cost effective feeding practices.

He has clients throughout the Great Plains and Southwest. His goal is to help every sector of the beef industry provide an excellent product for the consumer. In addition to his consulting business, he and his wife manage a custom grazing business encompassing double stock yearlings and a forage based heifer development program.Arturo received his PhD from Kansas State University in Ruminant Nutrition. He completed his Master’s degree in Animal Breeding and Genetics at Texas Tech University, where he also received his Bachelor’s degree. He was raised in New Mexico on his family’s ranch and has worked on or managed grazing operations in a variety of environments from short grass to tall grass prairies.

Doug Smith, PhD Doug is the Division Chair and an Assistant Professor of Animal Science and Agricultural Education and the Livestock Judging Coach at the University of Nebraska Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture. ncta.unl.edu

The Pot Roast We want to showcase the talented chefs that read our magazine. In this issue we are featuring Arturo and Wrenn Pacheco who run cattle in the Flint Hills of Kansas while also maintaining a fun and unique cooking blog which can be found at cookingwiththe cowboy.com. If you have a recipe that you would like to feature in The Pot Roast section of the magazine, please email us at kelly.terrell@pacdvms.com. Our goal is to continue discovering recipes from agriculture’s finest.

Cover Photo Credits Thank you to Katie Jorgensen of Jorgensen Farms in Exeter, NE for the cover picture.

Thank you to all sponsors for supporting PAC & Protein Producers.

Alltech American Animal Health Animal Health International Bayer Boehringer Ingelheim

Elanco Lallemand Micro Technologies Midwest NetPro Newport Laboratories

Chr. Hansen

Norbrook

Daniels Manufacturing Co.

SSG Fusion

Diamond V

Zinpro

DOCTalk

Zoetis

Cow-Calf

Be Prepared If the Summer Gets Tough By: Arturo Pacheco, PhD Pacheco Cattle Services

While most producers are in the midst of spring calving, the daily tasks of feeding and checking your calving heifers and cows keep you distracted from looking ahead.

Photography by Scott Stebner

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While dry weather isn’t a disadvantage during the calving season, producers should start making plans for how to manage dry conditions if the current weather pattern persists, which could make for a tough summer grazing season.

A large portion of cattle country is experiencing at least abnormally dry conditions, and most of the region is actually experiencing a moderate drought with a section of the southern high plains suffering through an extreme drought (http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/). We understand the challenges that even a modest drought brings producers, but having a drought management plan in place before the onset of dry conditions can certainly help producers make informed decisions and take predetermined actions to sustain the integrity of their rangelands.

To further highlight the importance of a drought management plan, since the 1700s in the Great Plains alone, there have been over 40 drought periods, with 73 years worth of severe droughts and 38 years of moderate drought. If you are doing the math with me, that means since the 1700s the Great Plains has experienced a drought 1/3 of the time.

Most of us have made a habit of dumping out our rain gauge, but we need to put that information to good use in helping us realize when a drought is encroaching. Monitoring rainfall levels yearlong and comparing yearly totals to regional averages at “trigger dates” is an important step in a successful drought management plan. Producers can use this data to help make minor, systematic stocking rate decisions that impact range integrity for the better.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at how we can implement a drought management plan in a regionally specific scenario. This scenario can be adapted to any region’s monsoon and growing season as a template for a drought management plan, but certainly seek out help in completing a comprehensive drought management plan so nothing

is overlooked. First off, drought is defined as a prolonged period of low rainfall, specifically if your area receives less than 70 percent of its average rainfall. Further, correlate the rainfall with the growing season of your rangelands rather than the calendar year. Here in the Flint Hills of Kansas that period would begin around April and end sometime in October. Thus, we monitor rainfall from October to October and use the rainfall totals through this period to make decisions on what steps to progress through in our drought management plan.

The first trigger date in our area would be April 1st. If we haven’t received at least 15 percent of our annual average rainfall from November 1st to April 1st, we would take the first action in our drought management plan, to start monitoring range conditions and forgoing the practice of prescribed burning, which is a valuable tool in our neighborhood in maintaining productive rangelands.

The next trigger date in our area would be June 15th.

At this point we should have received 50-55 percent of our annual average rainfall. At this date, if rainfall is less than 80 percent of that target of 50-55 percent, we would take the next action in our drought management plan, to decrease stocking rates by at least 30 percent. In a cow-calf operation, this can be done by early weaning. If rainfall totals are even lower, say less than 60 percent of that target of 50-55 percent, stocking rates need to be reduced by 40 percent.

This can be managed by early weaning and light culling. At this point, we need to start thinking about preserving cow body condition just as much as we are thinking about preserving range conditions.

As the summer progresses through July and August, the Northern Flint Hills should have received 70 percent of our average annual rainfall. If moisture is less than 70 percent of the average for the year in August, grazing on summer pastures should end on September 1st so we can maintain range integrity. By August 15th, 70 percent of forage production has occurred in the Kansas Flint Hills. It is crucial that we leave enough leaf area on forage between August and the first killing frost so forage can restore root carbohydrate reserves for the winter. At this point, overgrazing would cause a decline in range conditions.

If we are behind on rain by the onset of fall, we can expect that dry conditions will persist into winter and the following spring. In fact, if rainfall totals are less than 80 percent of normal by November 1st, you can expect the drought cycle to continue into the spring. If these conditions exist, you should be prepared to reduce stocking rates further for the upcoming summer grazing season.

If you find yourself in a drought, reducing stocking rate is a must for range integrity to remain satisfactory. When it comes time to cull, most ranchers start with the three

Os: the open, the old and the ornery. Liquidate these cattle sooner than you normally would. Keep in mind if you’re dry then so are your neighbors, so liquidate unwanted inventory before the market is flooded in your area. Think outside of the box; even though you may be experiencing a drought, utilize this misfortune to help you determine what genetics in your herd are the most efficient from a production and reproduction standpoint. This could also be a good time to implement an AI program, which would improve the genetics in your herd but also potentially reduce the number needed in your bull battery.

Another option may be implementing a custom grazing program to utilize as a tool in your drought management plan. This option must be in place prior to the onset of drought. Custom grazing would allow producers to generate revenue on their forage base when adequate moisture is received by taking in cattle to graze. The cattle don’t have to be stockers. If you’re more comfortable with cows, folks are always looking for cow grass. If drought conditions develop, rather than liquidating cattle, you simply don’t custom graze cattle while drought conditions persist. This offers you more flexibility in your forage base. When dry conditions persist, you have extra acreage to move your own herd to when traditional range resources are depleted.

Keep in mind the time to plan for a drought is when you’re stomping mud off your boots, not picking dust out

of your ears. Being prepared for a drought allows producers to make flexible and informed decisions based off basic rainfall measurements and have plans in place to help reduce stocking rates and maintain range integrity.

Technology

Blockchain Technology and the Global Food Supply Chain By: Jessie Topp-Becker Nebraska Cattleman Assistant Editor Reprinted with permission from Nebraska Cattleman.

The World Health Organization estimates that 1 in 10 people, or nearly 600 million, fall ill every year due to consuming contaminated food. In the last two decades, major recalls involving spinach, peanut butter, cucumbers and papayas, just to name a few, resulted in thousands of people becoming ill and lost revenue for farmers, retailers and others.

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The global food supply chain is complex and involves a variety of players – growers, processors, distributors, suppliers, retailers and regulators. Each of these plays a unique and vital role in the food system, and each player has a stake in ensuring food is safe for consumption. However, during a food scare event, it can be difficult to validate where food is grown, handled, stored and inspected. In fact, in many cases, it can take several weeks to identify the exact source of contamination, which often leads to more illness, reduced revenue and unnecessary food waste.

While finding a viable traceability solution has been a priority for many in the food system, a solution that works for all the players in the supply chain has not yet been identified. The introduction of a shared, distributed ledger technology may be the solution for which players in the food system have been searching. With this new technology, called blockchain, participants in the food supply chain (and eventually, perhaps consumers) can have access to information regarding the origin and transaction history of food products.

Brigid McDermott, vice president of blockchain business development at IBM, explains that blockchain-based solutions, such as the IBM Blockchain Platform, have the ability to connect supply chain participants with a shared view of their transaction history. In the food system, a blockchain could be used to record everything that happens to an individual or group of food products. By recording information such as farm origination details, batch numbers, processing data, expiration dates and shipping details on blockchain, McDermott says it may become possible to verify the history, location and status of a food product.

Today, companies along the supply chain don’t usually share their records with all the other players. In fact, McDermott explains that most are only required to share their records “one up, one down.” Blockchain technology can be used to connect all supply chain players and give them a shared view of their transaction history. In cases of a foodborne illness outbreak, this information would enable them to quickly identify the source of the outbreak, which could reduce illness and waste.

IBM and Walmart were the first to explore the use of blockchain in the food system; the duo announced their collaboration in late 2016. Since the announcement, they have successfully completed two pilots – one with mangoes from Mexico and one with pork from China.

In the first pilot, the companies worked to identify where a package of sliced mangoes originated. Using Walmart’s standard processes, it took the company 6 days, 18 hours and 26 minutes to identify the mangoes’ point of origin. Using the blockchain solution, it took two seconds to identify the mangoes’ point of origin, cold storage and processing facility, distribution center and retailer.

“We had the complete traceability, whereas, in their week of looking through documents, [Walmart] had only the first point,” McDermott explains. “It became clear to a number of us on the IBM and Walmart side that blockchain and food safety were actually a really good mix.”

In August 2017, 10 companies – Dole, Driscoll’s, Golden State Foods, Kroger, McCormick and Company, McLane Company, Nestlé, Tyson Foods, Unilever and Walmart – announced they would join with IBM to further investigate the use of blockchain in the food sector.

“They’re all thought leaders and they are all very passionate about food safety and are looking at what we can do from an industry perspective to really help make the food system safer for consumers,” McDermott says.

She adds that blockchain solves a critical gap that has prevented any other traceability solution from working in the food system – trust. “This is an area where people were more excited than usual to collaborate and where a lot of investment has been done, but there’s never been any real traction with any traceability solution because you weren’t able to get over that trust issue.”

While McDermott feels confident that blockchain solves the gap related to trust, some players along the supply chain have expressed concerns related to privacy and data ownership. Although McDermott understands the concerns, she explains that, with blockchain, there is no set approach to governing data ownership. The way IBM approaches it, “if you upload data into the blockchain, it’s your data and you own it.”

In its current form, individuals entering information in the blockchain have complete control over what they enter and who can see it. “What blockchain does is provide you with the trust and confidence that the data is under your control and it provides your partners, the people you’re sharing that data with, that the data is trusted, immutable and comes from you; all of these things that make it work,” she says. Once data is entered in the blockchain, it is never changed or erased; however, it can be updated.

The goal with blockchain is to allow participants to “work more constructively with their business partners on the transaction – the farmer to the processor to the importer to the cold storage facility to the distributor to the retailer,” McDermott explains. Each participant has the power to control what information they make available to the other participants, and they might share different information with each of the other participants along the supply chain.

“We think sharing this information is going to make the supply chain work more efficiently, so that will be additional incentive for folks to put in not all their information, but all the information that helps their business partners work more effectively,” she says.

In order for blockchain to be a success in the food system, McDermott says it is critical that the technology provides value to every segment of the supply chain. “Making sure that the solution takes that into account and provides value to all of them is critical in making sure that the system is able to provide that kind of real-time visibility or traceability, transparency across the ecosystem.”

While every segment should see value in the solution, each segment will have different value drivers. Identifying these drivers is critical to drive the adoption of blockchain.

“How do we make sure this isn’t something people feel forced to do, but realize that there’s real benefit for everyone to do it?”

IBM first used blockchain for its global finance business in 2016; today, blockchains are used in a variety of sectors, including education, insurance and medical services. Agribusinesses have also found ways to use the technology.

Most recently, in January 2018, Louis Dreyfus Co., one of the world’s largest ag commodity traders, used a blockchain platform to sell U.S. soybeans to a processor in China.

While there is a great deal of excitement surrounding this new technology, McDermott says it is imperative that blockchain is used wisely. “You have to be careful when a new technology, like blockchain, comes out that you don’t

think about it as a hammer looking for a nail. The important thing is to find it a place where blockchain is solving the most important problem, not just using blockchain for something.”

McDermott is confident that blockchain can help the food system in the area of traceability and food safety.

“What we’re doing is making the food system safer, but we’re also making it more cost-effective to provide that safety – everyone wins in that case.”

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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly About ELDs By: Doug Smith, PhD University of Nebraska Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture

Did I grab your attention with that title? Does this trio exist? The latest discussions on this mandate have many people looking for answers on this topic.

The trucking industry is relied on heavily for transportation of products and goods across the country. This involves everything from dry goods to livestock.

Legislation

pacdvms.com 21

There are many regulations that have been put into place in many areas that we may scratch our heads about and this may be another, but let’s look at some of the features of the proposed mandates involving ELDs, or Electronic Logging Devices. The rule was put into place to affect those who have to prepare or keep Hours of Service records. The following statement is found in the Federal Register for this mandate: “The requirements for ELDs will improve compliance with the HOS rules.”

Electronic Logging Devices are devices that are connected directly to the motor to record driving time and hours of operation. The effective date for this mandate was February 16, 2016, and the compliance date was December 18, 2017.

Prior to the compliance date, a 90-day waiver was granted for the livestock industry hauler which made the compliance date March 18, 2018 and now another 90-day waiver was granted. So this is where we discuss the above title.

The Good You might ask, is there any good that can come from this mandate? The good is the protection of the driver of the truck and other drivers on the road. In studies done by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), crashes and fatalities involving semi trucks and trailers have risen since 1995.

This might beg the question, is the issue with the semi drivers or other drivers? Are drivers being pushed to get their loads to particular locations?

The number of drivers in the United States has reached 3.5 million according to the American Trucking Association.

With the aforementioned number, there are approximately 250,000 livestock haulers in the United States according to the FMCSA. Making sure the drivers and livestock arrive safely is a concern for the Administration as well as the livestock industry. This concern of Hours of Service and ELDs does not go without its faults or challenges.

The Bad With the dooming date upon the horizon to meet compliance, several groups are in Washington lobbying for change in the policy. Some suggestions have been made such as a 4-year extension of the moratorium to complete repeal for livestock haulers.

As we look at the mandate about ELDs, the question concerning hauling livestock comes due to the Hours of Service that sometimes are required to move those livestock across the country.

At a symposium in 2015, Lisa Pedersen of North Dakota State University Extension stated that there might be 125,000 head of fat cattle on the road on any given day and with feeder cattle moving about, that number could reach

400,000. Cattle move from various points throughout the United States to many feedyards in the Midwest. The distance of travel takes longer than the 11 hours stated in the mandate for Electronic Logging Devices. The administration has a mandatory rule of a 30-minute rest period during the 11- and 14-hour rule. The 11-hour rule only allows drivers to be behind the wheel for 11 hours, and the 14-hour rule is defined as the hours on duty.

Many times drivers are required to be outside of their truck 20-25% of their duty time loading and unloading the truck according to the American Trucking Association.

With the information provided, it will not be manageable for a truck driver to load a trailer in central Texas and make it to Nebraska during the allotted time with the required break. Several items could happen here: more rapid loading, higher rates of speed and lack of concern for the livestock.

With these occurrences, challenges will increase for the beef producer, feedlot owners and packers, such as additional shrink, fatigue and bruising to the carcass.

The Ugly With the discussions on these issues, many different ideas have been thrown about addressing the ELD mandate. In this article, the main focus has been on the commercial livestock hauling industry, but the mandate will also affect those who haul horses for a living, show horses or participate in rodeos, and it looks to even affect the people that show livestock throughout the country.

Some suggestions have been team drivers in a truck, rest locations for livestock and different regulations for the livestock haulers. The team driver issue could very well be the answer, but if you look at the numbers, that would require doubling the current number of drivers from 250,000 to 500,000. Many companies are having a challenge just keeping enough drivers for the work they have. If the companies were required to double the number of drivers, then we would probably see less livestock hauling companies available for moving livestock throughout the country. Compensation for two drivers in one truck does not pencil very often, especially for the smaller companies.

The issue of rest locations throughout the country opens the door for disease outbreak and sharing of bacteria and viruses more quickly than they currently may travel.

The biosecurity at one of these locations would have to be extreme.

Several other questions come to mind such as who is going to build these locations? Where is the money coming from? Will there be enforcement of stopping trucks? There are several questions that need some further review prior to enforcement of this mandate. The answer may be totally different regulations for livestock haulers. This could entail

different hour requirements, loading and unloading changes, or time allotted for the week changes.

The answer is up to the legislative body, but we need to focus on what is good for the livestock and the industry.

There are a lot of opportunities for education of legislators and Senators during these discussions. Many possibilities are ahead, and the hope is that all of these aspects will be looked at prior to making a decision. Hopefully you have been able to see some of the good, the bad and the ugly.

Chuckles From Down Under By: Jane Sullivan, Bell Veterinary Services A little girl became restless as the preacher’s sermon dragged on and on. Finally, she leaned over to her mother and whispered, “Mummy, if we give him the money now, will he let us go?”

The Sunday School teacher asks, “Now, Johnny, tell me frankly, do you say prayers before eating?”

“No ma’am,” little Johnny replies, “I don’t have to. My mom is a good cook.”

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Research

Clinical Case Review

Hypovitaminosis A in Cattle By: Dr. Matt Fruge Production Animal Consultation

During World War II, the Air Ministry of Great Britain had an astounding knack for identifying Nazi bombers as they made their approach at night. The Royal military attributed this to the fact that their soldiers were eating a massive amount of carrots which are rich in vitamin A.

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Of course, this was a rumor created to hide the invention of the first radar systems. Although consuming an abundance of vitamin A won’t necessarily give someone enhanced night vision, the effects of too little vitamin A (hypovitaminosis A) in the diet can have devastating consequences for not only vision but the neurologic and immune systems as well. This is also true for cattle.

Hypovitaminosis A is generally known to cause blindness in cattle, but the clinical symptoms vary with the age of the individual. Calves consuming inadequate amounts of vitamin A tend to show signs of ill thrift, diarrhea and pneumonia. Vitamin A also plays an important role in the immune system, so cattle entering the feedlot will typically be more susceptible to respiratory disease. Typically, in adult animals, hypovitaminosis A presents as vision loss and progresses to neurologic deficits and death.

Vitamin A is found naturally in several forms, one of which is retinal. Retinal is an important component of rhodopsin which is a pigment used in the retina for sensing low light conditions. When the body does not have sufficient retinal it cannot generate this pigment. As retinal is depleted the retina begins to lose its ability to sense light. The early sign of this process is night blindness which may not be apparent in cattle that are not handled in low light conditions, but if noticed this condition is usually reversible. As retinal levels continue to wane, the condition worsens to total blindness. Hypovitaminosis A may also cause a narrowing of bony openings within the skull which may compress nerves that travel through them. If this occurs to the optic nerve the blindness that follows is not reversible. Vitamin A deficiency may also cause the thickening of the protective covering of the brain and spinal cord which, along with the narrowing of bony openings, can cause an increase in cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSF). This increase in CSF pressure yields neurological damage that presents as seizures.

Affected cattle may start convulsing when stimulated and

death may occur during convulsions. Vitamin A also plays an important role in the immune system by helping to maintain protective mucous membranes of the digestive and respiratory tracts.

In pasture cattle, incidence of vitamin A deficiency typically occurs in winter or times of drought. Beta-carotenes are naturally occurring precursors to vitamin A which can be found in all green plants and corn. Cattle that are out on low quality forage such as corn stalks, drought condition pasture or weather damaged hay should be supplemented with vitamin A. Special care should be taken in cattle that are in late gestation or are lactating, as deficiencies in the cows may lead to deficiencies in the calves which tend to display more severe symptoms of deficiency.

The rate of hypovitaminosis A that occurs in the feedlot is variable and directly tied to the nutritional history of the cattle entering the yard. Cattle have a very large capacity of vitamin A storage in the liver depending on age. As animals grow and mature, the ability to store larger amounts of vitamin A increases. Light feeder steers may only have the capacity to store 40 to 80 days of required vitamin A, with heavier or yearling animals able to store amounts that would last 80 to 150 days before exhaustion. Thanks to this storage capacity, if the animal experienced any time of abundance of this vitamin, the requirements in the diet will be much lower. Due to the fact that vitamin A deficiency has such serious and irreversible consequences, this vitamin has historically been supplied in the diet in large quantities.

There is some research suggesting that supplementing vitamin A at such high concentrations has negative effects on carcass quality grades, and other research indicates that supplementing vitamin A increases feed conversion. With this in mind, we as an industry will need to look more into the actual requirements of individual animals.

Supplementation of vitamin A can be achieved by injection or by the oral route. Oral supplements of vitamin A can be included in liquid protein supplement or as a concentrate to be added to a mixed ration. Corn and most sources of roughage are high in carotene content so corn based or high roughage diets should not require such high levels of vitamin A. Conversely, it is important to remember that cattle being fed a diet of milo or barley as a corn replacement especially when the diet is low on roughage will require additional vitamin A supplementation. Also, cattle that are maintained on a high vitamin A or carotene diet become less efficient at converting carotenes to vitamin A and maintain the liver storage of vitamin A less securely. These factors may lead to rapid depletion if there is a sudden change to a diet deficient in vitamin A or carotenes. Vitamin A can also be mixed with salt to be fed as a supplement to cattle out on pasture during times that lush grass is not available.

Oral supplementation is a great way of supplying maintenance vitamin A to the animal, but it is not an efficient way of building up liver stores as an animal must consume 3-5 times its maintenance requirement of vitamin A/carotene before it begins to store it in the liver. The other route of administration is by injection. Vitamin A injection is a more efficient means of building the reserves in the liver quickly. A single, massive dose of vitamin A may be injected at once without having to rely on the animal consuming the supplement.

With the current global shortage of vitamin A, we as an industry will have to continue to be mindful of our application of it. Despite increasing prices, we must not forget the importance of vitamin A. We recommend that producers work with their veterinarian and nutritionist to develop a program to ensure proper vitamin A levels in their cattle.

References

Sewell, H.B. “Vitamins for Beef Cattle.” The Cattle Site, University of Missouri Extension, 21 August 2005, www. thecattlesite.com/articles/904/vitamins-for-beef-cattle/.

Stalker, A. “Vitamin A: An Important Winter Nutrient.”

UNL Beef, February 2015, beef.unl.edu/vitamin-A-important-winter-nutrient.

Dewell, G. “Vitamin A Deficiency in Beef Calves.” Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, vetmed.iastate.edu/sites/default/files/vdpam/Extension/Vitamin-A-deficiency-in-Beef-Calves.pdf.

Pickworth, C.L., et al. “Restriction of vitamin A and D in beef cattle finishing diets on feedlot performance and adipose accretion.” Journal of Animal Science., U.S. National Library of Medicine, June 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pubmed/22178850.

Arnett, A.M., et al. “Restricting Vitamin A in cattle diets improves beef carcass marbling and USDA quality and yield grades.” Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports, no. 1, January 2008, pp. 24–27, doi:10.4148/23785977.1508.

Smith, B.P. Large Animal Internal Medicine. 2nd ed., Mosby, 1996.

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Organizations Move at the Speed of Trust By: Dr. Nels Lindberg Production Animal Consultation

Every single thing we do each and every day is an opportunity to build trust with another person. It could be with a co-worker, spouse, friend, parent or child. This occurs because with every interaction we have all day long, we either increase trust or decrease trust.

Leadership

pacdvms.com 29

With every new person we meet, they size us up in seconds and subconsciously ask themselves, “Do I respect them and can I trust them?”

We often say “trust is earned”, but in reality, trust is not earned, trust is given. We cannot demand trust, we cannot ask for it, and we cannot expect it. Rather we must create a deep, personal, even emotional connection in any relationship before it is given.

There have been many instances in all of our lives in which trust was chipped away at or even ruined to the point of us saying or thinking, “I’ll never trust them again.” The most common and earliest form of earning trust is often in a friendship. For many of us, those first glimpses or experiences of trust building and trust destruction often occur in our first relationships in high school or college. Someone often leaves the relationship after having been cheated on or betrayed in some form or another. For many, those experiences leave people in a distrusting spirit for much of their life, or at least until they experience an extreme level of true, vulnerable, transparent trust in another relationship.

Sometimes, those experiences even cause a person to distrust themselves given their actions, decisions and emotional connections.

In the feedlot world, the protein production world or any business, there are many ways to build trust. To begin building trust, we have to create a closer connection to that person or persons. We must create a high level of vulnerable trust, meaning you tell your people your biggest mistakes and screw-ups and how you have self-created many of the issues. We have to make ourselves human, real and vulnerable. In my consulting roles, I talk about this with other leaders and often get the comment, “That’s none of their business.” I understand that, but it all depends on what level of trust you want to build and how real you want to be to your people, as well as what level of fake and shallowness you want to dissolve. If you want your people to walk through fire for you or with you, you have to tell them EVERYTHING, every single mistake.

In the leadership world, be it a feedyard or any protein production operation, you have to trust your people from day one and earn their trust in return. It may not be fair, but that is just how it is as a manager, head cowboy, cattle foreman or any team leader. Remember, trust is given, not earned. You hired them, and if you don’t trust them from day one, why did you hire them? We must trust them to the point that we have their back because for our people to perform at peak performance, we must trust that they will execute. They also want to know that even if they make a mistake, we will have their back and support them through the learning process of a mistake. This is crucial as a leader to earning your team member’s trust and is a common mistake leaders routinely make. Because of our egos we think, ”They should trust me given what I do.” Remember, you hired them so you should trust them, but just because you hired them, doesn’t mean they trust you!

Some of the biggest challenges in trust I see in the agriculture world today are in transition times, when a new manager, head cowboy or cattle foreman is hired at a yard, or when a new owner takes over an operation. At those points, your people are scared of what may or may not happen. They are distrusting of what the future may hold, because there is real uncertainty to them, and of your abilities, even though you are very confident in what you are doing.

In those situations, every interaction can increase trust or decrease trust. We must work very hard to develop a close relationship and connection to our people. We must convince them that we care deeply about them and their success, that we are not the enemy and we are not looking to get rid of them. We must convince them that we have their back from day one. Trust is not like a bank account in which we grow and build trust by making “daily deposits.” Trust is like a water balloon; if it breaks, it is gone.

For everything I am involved in, I work and push people very hard to root out all manipulators and liars, because a distrusting environment in any business or relationship creates a cancer. I have learned that a manipulator or liar often times may have a direct leader that is a manipulator or a liar.

We can work to rid an organization of the manipulators and liars, but we must first look inward at ourselves and other leaders in the organization, as we or they may be creating more manipulators and liars, or drama and chaos. It can be a vicious circle of lies, or it can be an awesome, humble, vulnerable circle of trust. It is up to each of us to build that ever-so-powerful circle of intentional and impactful trust.

We must be sincere, warm, caring and compassionate. We must show good will and high levels of benevolence. We must be a person of integrity, fairness and impact. And we must have the ability to trust those we bring into our fold in order for them to give us their trust in return.

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Animal Stewardship

To be Safe is to be Aware By: Ted Howard Production Animal Consultation

“The common theme that I hear is AWARENESS. Awareness is the ability to directly know and perceive, or to be cognizant of events. More broadly, it is the state of being conscious of something.”

pacdvms.com 33

In recent months, I have been involved in safety meetings in different companies. I have found that employers are truly concerned about the welfare of their employees as well as their livestock. They are trying to educate their teams to be careful and make good decisions in their dayto-day work situations. The common theme that I hear is AWARENESS. Awareness is the ability to directly know and perceive, or to be cognizant of events. More broadly, it is the state of being conscious of something.

When working with horses, we need to be aware of the horse, tack, shoes and environment. Each horse brings a set of strengths and weaknesses to work every day. We need to understand that each horse is different. Understanding how the horse was started and its past experiences is very important so we are aware of any issues he may have in certain situations. If we are riding a young inexperienced horse, it is important that we have an experienced rider involved to help navigate any potential pitfalls.

The tack we use on our horse must be clean and in good repair. The proper fit of the saddle, cinch and latigo is very important as to not pinch or sore a horse. When a horse is pinched or sore, he may react in a negative or aggressive way.

The proper fit of a horse’s headgear is also very important. I see horses that are either over bitted or under bitted. Either way it is a safety concern when trying to work cattle.

The environment we ride in is important to be aware of as well. The weather creates all kinds of ground conditions.

It is important to adjust our speed when it is slick to prevent falling. I prefer to have rim shoes in very dry or icy conditions. These shoes help my horse to not slip as easily. I use toe and heel shoes in muddy conditions. When we put these special shoes on our horses, we need to be aware when we are on hard ground. Running our horse or turning quickly can cause him harm.

Another area to be aware of is around gate pins. We must keep our back cinches snug as I’ve seen a gate pin slip between the back cinch and horse’s belly. Learning to properly work a gate is important. The pad by the bunk can also be different footing and should be evaluated when riding a pen or pulling cattle.

If our horse is frightened of something in his environment, we need to be patient with him. Not forcing him to ride up to whatever is disturbing him is very important to build his confidence. Every day we can continue to reintroduce our horse. If our horse is confident in us and his surroundings, we can be that much safer in our jobs.

We must also be aware of the “horse sense” of our teammates. We need to be aware of what each member of the team understands about our horses and responsibilities. We cannot put teammates into situations they are not prepared for or do not understand for their safety as well as others.

Our teammates in other departments, such as maintenance and feeding, may not understand our horses or our ability to stay out of the way of their machinery.

We are very lucky to work horseback amongst cattle every day. Please be aware of your surroundings so you can go home safely every night.

Chuckles From Down Under By: Jane Sullivan, Bell Veterinary Services Grandparents’ Answering Machine “Good morning! At present we are not at home, but please leave your message after you hear the beep.

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If you are one of our children, dial 1 and then select the option from 1 to 5 in order of “birth arrival” so we know who it is.

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If you want grandchildren to sleep here tonight, press 5.

If you want us to pick up the kids at school, press 6.

If you want us to prepare a meal for Sunday or have it delivered to your home, press 7.

If you want to come to eat here, press 8.

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If you are going to invite us to dinner or take us to the theatre, start talking…. We are listening!!!!!!!!”

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Bilingual Training

The following articles have been translated into Spanish:

Este Preparado Si El Verano Se Pone Difícil Las Organizaciones Avanzan a la Velocidad de la Confianza Translation provided by Jose Valles Production Animal Consultation

pacdvms.com 37

Este Preparado Si El Verano Se Pone Difícil

By: Arturo Pacheco, PhD Pacheco Cattle Services

Mientras la mayoría de los productores se encuentran en plena temporada de parición de primavera, las tareas diarias de alimentar y revisar sus vaquillas y vacas en parición lo mantienen distraído de mirar hacia delante. Mientras el clima seco no es una desventaja durante la temporada de parición, los productores deben comenzar a hacer planes sobre cómo manejar las condiciones secas si el patrón actual del clima persiste, lo cual podría crear una difícil temporada de pastoreo de verano. Una gran parte de la región ganadera está experimentando por lo menos condiciones anormalmente secas, y la mayor parte de la región está realmente experimentando una sequía moderada con una sección de las llanuras altas del sur sufriendo una sequía extrema (http:// droughtmonitor.unl.edu/). Ciertamente entendemos los desafíos que incluso una sequia modesta le trae a los productores, pero tener un plan de manejo de sequia establecido antes del inicio de las condiciones secas verdaderamente le puede ayudar a los productores a tomar decisiones fundamentadas y tomar acciones predeterminadas para mantener la integridad de sus pastizales.

Para recalcar aun mas la importancia de un plan de manejo de sequia, desde el siglo XVIII solo en las Grandes Llanuras, ha habido mas de 40 periodos de sequia, con 73 años de sequias graves y 38 años de sequia moderada. Si esta haciendo las matemáticas conmigo, eso significa que desde

el siglo XVIII las Grandes Llanuras han experimentado una sequia una tercera parte del tiempo.

La mayoría de nosotros hemos tomado por costumbre el hecho de vaciar el pluviómetro, pero tenemos que hacer buen uso de esa información para ayudarnos a darnos cuenta cuando una sequia esta invadiendo. Monitorear los niveles de precipitación durante todo el año y comparar los totales anuales con los promedios regionales en, “fechas de activación” es un paso importante en un plan exitoso de manejo de sequia. Los productores pueden usar estos datos para ayudarles a tomar decisiones de menor importancia sobre la tasa de densidad sistemática de ganado que impacta la integridad del pasto de manera positiva.

Con eso en mente, veamos como podemos implementar un plan de manejo de sequia en un escenario especifico para cada región. Este escenario se puede adaptar al monzón y temporada de crecimiento de cualquier región como un formato para un plan de manejo de sequia, pero sin duda busque ayuda para completar un plan integral de manejo de sequia para que nada se pase por alto. En primer lugar, la sequia se define como un periodo prolongado de escasas precipitaciones, específicamente si su área recibe menos del 70 por ciento de su precipitación media. Además, correlacione la precipitación con la temporada de crecimiento de sus pastizales y no con el año civil. Aquí en los Flint Hills de Kansas, ese periodo comenzaría alrededor de Abril y terminaría en Octubre. Por lo tanto, nosotros monitoreamos la

precipitación de Octubre a Octubre y utilizamos los totales de precipitación durante este periodo para tomar decisiones sobre que pasos a seguir en nuestro plan de manejo de sequia.

La primera fecha de activación en nuestra área sería el 1 de abril. Si no hemos recibido al menos 15 por ciento de nuestra precipitación media anual desde el primero de noviembre al 1 de abril, tomaríamos la primera medida en nuestro plan de manejo de sequia, para comenzar a monitorear las condiciones del pasto y abstenernos a la practica de quema prescrita, la cual es una herramienta valiosa en nuestra región para mantener pastizales productivos.

La próxima fecha de activación en nuestra área sería el 15 de junio. A este punto ya deberíamos haber recibido del 50 al 55 por ciento de nuestra precipitación media anual.

A esta fecha, si la precipitación es menos del 80 por ciento de ese objetivo del 50 al 55 por ciento, tomaríamos la siguiente medida en nuestro plan de manejo de sequia, para disminuir las tasas de densidad de ganado al menos por un 30 por ciento. En una operación de vaca-becerro, esto se puede hacer a través del destete temprano. Si los totales de precipitación son aun mas bajos, digamos que menos del 60 por ciento de ese objetivo del 50 al 55 por ciento, las tasas de densidad de ganado deben reducirse por un 40 por ciento.

Esto se puede manejar a través del destete temprano y un ligero desecho selectivo de ganado. A este punto, debemos comenzar a pensar en preservar la condición corporal de las vacas al igual que estar pensando en preservar las condiciones del pasto.

A medida que avanza el verano a través de julio y agosto, la parte norte de los Flint Hills debería haber recibido el 70 por ciento de nuestra precipitación media anual. Si la humedad es menos del 70 por ciento del promedio del año en agosto, el pastoreo en pastos de verano debe finalizar el 1 de septiembre para que podamos mantener la integridad del pasto. Para el 15 de agosto, el 70 por ciento de la producción de forraje se ha producido en los Flint Hills de Kansas. Es crucial que dejemos suficiente superficie foliar en el forraje entre agosto y la primera helada para que el forraje pueda restaurar las reservas de carbohidratos de la raíz para el invierno. A este punto, el sobrepastoreo causaría una disminución en las condiciones del pasto.

Si estamos atrasados en precipitación al inicio del otoño, podemos esperar que las condiciones secas persistan en el invierno y la primavera siguiente. De hecho, si los totales de precipitación son menos del 80 por ciento de lo normal para el 1 de noviembre, puede esperar que el ciclo de sequia continúe hasta la primavera. Si estas condiciones existen, debe estar preparado para reducir las tasas de densidad aun mas para la próxima temporada de pastoreo de verano.

Si se encuentra en una sequia, es necesario reducir la tasa de densidad de ganado para que la integridad del pasto siga siendo satisfactoria. Cuando se llega el momento del desecho selectivo de ganado, la mayoría de los ganaderos comienzan con estas tres reglas generales: el ganado vacío,

el ganado viejo y el ganado bravo. Liquide este ganado antes de lo que normalmente lo haría. Tenga en mente que si usted esta seco, entonces también lo están sus vecinos, así que liquide el inventario no deseado antes de que el mercado sea invadido en su área. Piense con originalidad; aunque puede estar experimentando una sequia, utilice esta desgracia para ayudarlo a determinar que genética en su hato es mas eficiente desde el punto de vista de producción y reproducción.

Este también podría ser un buen momento para implementar un programa de inseminación artificial, lo cual no solo mejoraría la genética en su hato sino también podría reducir el numero necesario de toros para reproducción.

Otra opción puede ser implementar un programa de pastoreo personalizado para utilizarlo como una herramienta en su plan de manejo de sequia. Esta opción debe estar establecida antes del inicio de la sequia. El pastoreo personalizado le permitiría a los productores generar ingresos en su base de forraje cuando se recibe la humedad adecuada al proveer servicio de pastoreo para ganado. El ganado no tiene que ser de repasto. Si se siente mas cómodo con vacas, la gente siempre anda en busca de pasto para vacas. Si se desarrollan condiciones de sequia, en lugar de liquidar ganado, simplemente no realice el pastoreo personalizado de ganado mientras persisten las condiciones de sequia. Esto le ofrece mas flexibilidad en su base de forraje. Cuando persisten las condiciones secas, usted tendría superficie adicional para mover su propio hato cuando los recursos tradicionales de pasto se agotan.

Tenga en mente que el momento para planear para una sequia es cuando se esta quitando el lodo de las botas, y no cuando se esta quitando el polvo de los oídos. Estar preparado para una sequia le permite a los productores tomar decisiones flexibles y fundamentadas basadas en mediciones básicas de precipitación y tener planes establecidos para ayudar a reducir las tasas de densidad de ganado y mantener la integridad del pasto.

pacdvms.com 39

Las Organizaciones Avanzan a la Velocidad de la Confianza

By: Dr. Nels Lindberg Production Animal Consultation

Cada cosa que hacemos cada día es una oportunidad para crear confianza con otra persona. Puede ser con un compañero de trabajo, cónyuge, amigo o hijo. Esto ocurre porque con cada interacción que tenemos durante el día, o aumentamos la confianza o disminuimos la confianza. Con cada nueva persona que conocemos, se crecen en segundos y subconscientemente se preguntan, ¿“La respeto y puedo confiar en ella?”

A menudo decimos “la confianza se gana,” pero en realidad, la confianza no se gana, la confianza se da. No podemos exigir confianza, no podemos pedirla, y no podemos esperarla. Más bien, debemos crear una conexión profunda, personal, e incluso emocional en cualquier relación antes de que sea dada.

Ha habido muchas instancias en la vida de todos nosotros en las que la confianza se ha dañado o incluso arruinado al punto que decimos o pensamos, “nunca volveré a confiar en ellos.” La forma más común y temprana de ganar confianza es a menudo en una amistad. Para muchos de nosotros, esos primeros vislumbres o experiencias de creación de confianza y destrucción de confianza a menudo ocurren en nuestras primeras relaciones durante la secundaria o la universidad. Alguien a menudo deja la relación después de haber sido engañado o traicionado de alguna forma u otra.

Para muchos, esas experiencias dejan a las personas en un espíritu de desconfianza durante gran parte de su vida, o al menos hasta que experimentan un nivel extremo de confi-

anza verdadera, vulnerable, y transparente en otra relación.

A veces, esas experiencias incluso causan que una persona desconfíe de sí misma dadas sus acciones, decisiones, y conexiones emocionales.

En el mundo de los corrales de engorda, el mundo de la producción de proteína o cualquier negocio, existen muchas formas de crear confianza. Para comenzar a crear confianza, tenemos que crear una conexión más cercana con esa persona o personas. Debemos crear un alto nivel de confianza vulnerable, lo que significa que le contamos nuestros más grandes errores y como hemos creado muchos de los problemas. Tenemos que hacernos humanos, reales, y vulnerables. En mis funciones de consultoría, hablo de esto con otros líderes y a menudo me hacen el comentario, “Eso no es asunto de ellos.” Yo entiendo eso, pero todo depende del nivel de confianza que quieras crear y que tan real quieres ser con tu gente, así como también el nivel de falsedad y superficialidad que quieras disolver. Si quieres que tu gente camine sobre el fuego por ti o contigo, tienes que decirle TODO, cada error.

En el mundo de liderazgo, ya sea en corrales de engorda o en cualquier operación de producción de proteína, tienes que confiar en tu gente desde el primer día y ganar su confianza a cambio. Puede que no sea justo, pero así es como es, como gerente, jefe de vaqueros, capataz de ganadería o cualquier líder de equipo. Recuerda, la confianza se da, no se gana. Usted los contrato, y si usted no confía en ellos desde el primer día, ¿por qué los contrato? Debemos confiar en ellos hasta el punto de que los respaldamos porque para que

su gente funcione al máximo rendimiento, debemos confiar en que cumplirán. También quieren saber que si cometen un error, nosotros los respaldaremos y los apoyaremos a través del proceso de aprendizaje de un error. Esto es crucial como líder para ganarse la confianza de su miembro de equipo y es un error común que los lideres rutinariamente cometen. Por nuestros egos pensamos, “Deben confiar en mi, dado lo que hago.” Recuerde, usted los contrato por lo que debe confiar en ellos, pero solo porque los contrato, ¡no significa que confían en usted!

Algunos de los mayores desafíos de confianza que veo en el mundo de la agricultura hoy en día están en tiempos de transición, cuando un nuevo gerente, jefe de vaqueros o capataz de ganadería es contratado en los corrales de engorda, o cuando un nuevo propietario toma el cargo de una operación. En esos puntos, su gente tiene miedo de lo que puede y no puede suceder. Están desconfiando de lo que puede deparar el futuro, porque existe una real incertidumbre para ellos, y de sus habilidades, aunque usted este muy seguro de lo que está haciendo. En esas situaciones, cada interacción puede aumentar o disminuir la confianza.

Debemos trabajar muy duro para desarrollar una relación y conexión cercana con nuestra gente. Debemos convencerlos de que nos preocupamos profundamente por ellos y su éxito, que no somos el enemigo y que no estamos buscan-

do deshacernos de ellos. Debemos convencerlos de que los respaldamos desde el primer día. La confianza no es como una cuenta de banco en la cual crecemos y creamos confianza al hacer “depósitos diarios.” La confianza es como un globo con agua; si se rompe, ya no existe.

En todo lo que estoy involucrado, trabajo y presiono mucho a la gente para erradicar a todos los manipuladores y mentirosos, porque un entorno con falta de confianza en cualquier negocio o relación crea un cáncer. He aprendido que un manipulador o mentiroso muchas veces puede tener un líder directo que es un manipulador o mentiroso. Podemos trabajar para librar a una organización de los manipuladores y mentirosos, pero primero debemos mirar a nuestro interior y a otros líderes de la organización, ya que nosotros o ellos pueden estar creando más manipuladores o mentirosos, o drama y caos. Puede ser un círculo vicioso de mentiras, o puede ser un círculo de confianza impresionante, humilde y vulnerable. Nos corresponde a cada uno de nosotros crear ese círculo tan poderoso de confianza intencional e impactante. Debemos ser sinceros, cálidos, cuidadosos y compasivos. Debemos mostrar buena voluntad y altos niveles de benevolencia. Debemos ser una persona de integridad, equidad e impacto. Y debemos tener la capacidad para confiar en las personas que traemos a nuestro circulo para que nos den su confianza a cambio.

Superior Placement Solutions offers professional employee recruitment services for operations involved in the beef, dairy and pork industries.

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Parable

Who are you...?

By: Dr. Greg Quakenbush, Geissler Corp., & Dr. Doug Ford, Production Animal Consultation

In our last installment, we saw that in elementary school, Dr. Doug put it all on the line as he made a unilateral decision to change his name to “Dale”. Billy Dale was Doug’s father as well as his hero. It was no small thing for Doug to fully identify with his dad and what better way than to take his name as his own. Unfortunately, Dr. Doug recalls encountering a fair amount of pressure that came his way from his teacher and parents who did not share his vision for a new identity. We know today that Dr. Doug was ahead of his time because he understood at an early age the value of a good name. A man is measured by the content of his character and name.

“What do you do for a living?” It is interesting that we like to know what others do as an occupation in part to understand who we think they are. Conscientiously or not, we use that information as a ruler to measure or evaluate them.

Today people have many other ways of identifying themselves besides what they do for a living. Sexual orientation or sexual preferences, race, disabilities, native country, financial status, and even combinations of the above are often used to identify oneself or others.

Make no mistake, one’s personal identity is very important. It has a direct effect on how we live out our lives. If I were to ask, “Who are you?” and you said, “A feedlot manager”, or “Democrat” or “A single mom with three kids”, all may be true, but they don’t tell who you are. Most tell me what you do, or your situation, but not who you are.

If our identity and sense of worth is only tied up in some physical attributes, like our work, our looks, our position, our wealth, or our intellect, then what happens if it is suddenly taken away? What’s left? Some would argue that nothing was left and possibly consider life not worth living.

When all is stripped away, who we really are is likely all that remains.

Christianity takes a different approach to our identity and value situation and provides a better outcome. In some respects Christianity might be loosely compared to the witness protection program. When we become followers of Jesus Christ we become new individuals. He gives us a new life and a new nature. (2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”) New life brings with it a new identity. “Being a Christian is not just a matter of getting something; it’s a matter of being someone. A new Christian is not simply a person who gets forgiveness, who gets to go to heaven, who gets the Holy Spirit, who gets a new nature. A Christian, in terms of our deepest identity, is a spiritually born child of God, a divine masterpiece, a child of light, a citizen of heaven. It’s not what you do as a Christian that determines who you are; it’s who you are that determines what you do.”1

Looking back to our original story, we see that Dr. Doug loved and admired his father and was determined to be identified with him. In his way of thinking, the best way to do this was to take his dad’s name as his own. His dad represented all that was good and right, and Doug wanted that for himself.

The parallel of Doug’s story regarding the exchanging of who we are in this world for a new identity in Christ is remarkable. In this witness protection style exchange, we get a new identity, a new nature, a new name (saint), as well as a new future. Who we are and what we are cannot be impacted by adversity.

Digging a bit deeper…

As a hopeful new creation in Christ, reflect on the list below regarding your new identity. What follows is absolutely true. It represents what Christ has done for us. Be encouraged, as you consider all that Christ accomplished for us on the cross. It is finished!!

I am a saint (Eph. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:2; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:2) I am a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) I am a son of God and one in Christ (Gal. 3:26, 28) I am righteous and holy (Eph. 4:24) I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3) I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved (Col. 3:12; 1 Thess. 1:4) I am an enemy of the devil (1 Pet. 5:8) I am born of God, and the evil one – the devil – cannot touch me (1 John 5:18) I am Christ’s friend (John 15:15) I am the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13) I am the light of the world (Matt. 5:14) I am a child of God (John 1:12) I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit (John 15:16) I am a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him (Rom. 8:17) I am God’s workmanship – His handiwork – born anew in Christ to do His work (Eph. 2:10).

I am a citizen of heaven, seated in heaven right now (Phil. 3:20; Eph. 2:6) I am a son of light and not of darkness (1 Thess. 5:5) 1. Neil Anderson, Victory over the darkness, pg 43, Regal Books, 1990.

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The Pot Roast

Breakfast Cups Photography by Wrenn Pacheco

Ingredients 1 canister original crescent rolls 8 eggs 1lb. breakfast sausage 1/4 cup cheddar cheese Green chili (optional) 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 cup milk Salt and pepper

Instructions Begin by browning the sausage and grating the cheese.

I used some Vermont cheddar cheese we had in the freezer, but you could use whatever kind you have on hand.

Grease your muffin cups, and place a flat crescent rectangle in the bottom of the cup, pressing it up the sides of the cup.

Scramble the eggs and mix in the baking powder, milk, salt and pepper.

Build your cups by placing the sausage, cheese and chili on top of the crescent rolls.

Top with the egg mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Thank you to Arturo and Wrenn Pacheco for sharing your recipe and pictures. Arturo and Wrenn are custom grazers located in the Flint Hills of Kansas. Their grazing operation consists of grazing double stock steers and custom heifer development for their clients. Arturo has his PhD in ruminant nutrition and owns and operates his own nutrition consulting business, Pacheco Cattle Services. Wrenn is a professional photographer and operates Wrenn Bird Photography. Together they have two little cowboys, Leo and Ross. You can find more of their recipes at cookingwiththecowboy.com.

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Daniels Manufacturing Co. World’s Finest Livestock Equipment For Over Fifty Years •

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Double Alleyway o Stationary & Portable o Fast, easy and safe way to process cattle All Hydraulic Squeeze Chute o Stationary & Portable o Quietest and most user friendly chute on the market, featuring our unique squeeze design and neck stretcher Complete Corral Units, Panels, Gate and Continuous Fence o Manufactured from the finest high tensile strength tubing Facility Drawings and Consultations o Low stress cattle handling that encourages voluntary cattle flow and animal well being

PO Box 67 87725 State Hwy 7 Ainsworth NE 69210 www.danielsmfg.com

Office: 402-387-1891 Fax: 402-387-1961 Email: daniels@danielsmfg.com

Calendar March

April

1st Wichita Area Ag Advocacy Event, Wichita, KS, Dr. Dan presenting

3rd PAC Beef Summit, Kearney, NE, PAC members attending

3rd Advanced Cattle Health and Welfare Training, Washington, KS, Dr. Dan presenting 8th-10th Nebraska LEAD Program Final Seminar, Lincoln, NE, Dr. Shane and Kelly attending 18th Hinkle’s Prime Cut Angus Customer Event, Nevada, MO, Dr. Dan presenting 26th Advanced Cattle Health and Welfare Training, Washington, KS, Dr. Dan presenting 27th Rose Hill Veterinary Clinic Producer Meeting, Rose Hill, KS, Dr. Dan presenting 28th Creating Connections, Elmwood, Ontario, Dr. Tom presenting 30th Creating Connections, Hoards Station, Ontario, Dr. Tom presenting

5th Animal Medical Center Annual Meeting, Great Bend, KS, Dr. Dan and Dr. Nels presenting 10th Dallas County Cattlemen’s Association, Buffalo, MO, Dr. Dan presenting 12th Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce Small Business Conference, Manhattan, KS, Dr. Nels presenting 12th-13th Executive Veterinary Program Beef, Olathe, KS, Drs. Dan, Kip and Wade attending 19th Ellis County Women in Ag, Ellis, KS, Dr. Dan presenting

May 4th Georgia Veterinary Medical Association Food Animal Conference, Pine Mountain, GA, Dr. Nels presenting

Production Animal Consultation PO Box 41 Oakley, KS 67748 pacdvms.com

Mark Your Calendars!

PAC Beef Summit Meetings Tuesday, April 3rd, 2018 Dispelling the Myths in the Cattle Industry Kearney, NE Wednesday, July 11th, 2018 Oberlin, KS

More details coming soon